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30 INFRASTRUCTURE AUSTRALIA APRIL 2010
Water
Industry report highlights challenges
First pipe laid between plant site and city
The rst Tasmanian water and
sewerage industry report re-
leased last month shows that
important challenges lie ahead
in the areas of customer relations, pricing
reform, the roll out of meters and delivery
of a capital works program to bring in-
frastructure up to the required standard.
Chairman of Tasmania s water and
sewerage corporations Geo Willis said:
"Capital expenditure of more than $1 bil-
lion is required in the coming decade to
upgrade and add necessary infrastructure."
Southern Water, Ben Lomond Water,
Cradle Mountain Water and Onstream
were created in 2008/09 by legislation
through the amalgamation of three bulk
water authorities and the water and sewer-
age operations of 29 local councils.
Owned by the local councils within
their respective areas, the water corpo-
rations have a combined asset base of
more than $2 billion and forecast annual
revenue of around $200 million, making
them one of Tasmania s largest business
sectors.
Recent water quality incidents, includ-
ing more than 200 treatment plant spills
and 38 towns that remain on boil water
alerts, served to highlight the need for the
large infrastructure spend.
"It is unacceptable that in the 21st
century these events are occurring and the
corporations are focussed on taking steps
to address them," Willis said.
More than 30 capital works projects are
now under way across the state, however
challenges still lay ahead.
"One of the most signi cant challenges
is that water and sewerage infrastructure
-- be it pipes, dams, reservoirs, treatment
plants or pump stations -- is expensive to
build and vital to maintain," Willis said.
Other challenges have been for the
asset management team to transfer water
and sewerage assets; transfer the docu-
mentation and systems required to oper-
ate and maintain the water and sewerage
assets; transfer capital works and develop
corporate plans; prepare asset registers for
transfer of the asset information and to
assist with a revaluation of the assets; and
identify and transfer outsourced mainte-
nance contracts.
Willis highlighted a unique feature of
the new overarching industry was the es-
tablishment of a shared services business
-- trading as Onstream -- to deliver e cien-
cies to the water industry and beyond.
" is is the only such model in Australia
and the eyes of the industry are turned to
Tasmania to ascertain the e ciency of the
model over the years to come," Willis said.
"With operations run by just three wa-
ter utilities and supported by a cost-e ec-
tive shared services rm, for the rst time
the industry can speak with one voice,
while delivering services which meet each
region s unique needs," he said.
Progress on the Victorian desali-
nation project continues apace
with bulk earthworks almost
90% complete and the rst pipes
in the ground.
e AquaSure consortium, consisting
of Suez Environment, Degrémont, iess
and Macquarie Capital Group has been
contracted by the Victorian government
to build and operate the $3.5 billion de-
salination plant.
AquaSure chief executive o cer Chris
Herbert said: " e major focus is now
on pouring concrete pilings and footings
[at the plant site], which will be followed
by concrete pads and structural steel for
the pretreatment and reverse osmosis
buildings."
Construction of the plant began last
September and is on schedule to deliver
rst water by the end of 2011. e Victori-
an desalination plant will deliver 150GL/a.
In conjunction with plant construction,
more than 1km of pipe has already been
laid for the project.
Overall, the underground pipeline will
be 84km long, connecting the desalination
plant to Melbourne s existing water supply
at a transfer main at Berwick which then
Pipe is prepared for placement along the 84km route between the Victorian desalination plant and the
transfer main at Berwick.
PHOTO: THIESS DEGRÉMONT
connects to Cardinia Reservoir.
e pipes will be capable of carrying up
to 200GL/a -- should the plant capacity be
upgraded in the future.
e pipeline will comprise around 6200
sections of pipe, each 1.93m in diameter,
13.5m long and weighing 13t.
Tyco Water won the $150 million
contract to manufacture the pipes at its
Somerton manufacturing facility, using
Australian steel supplied by Bluescope
Steel in Hastings.